I'm really sorry for not updating. I'm hella busy for my college admission. And I'm not going to update Stay By My Side till the last chapter I posted, get some reads. It sometimes really saddens me to wait for read.
Chapter dedicated to @1DAroundTheWorld
Alia Bhatt as Shanaya Sighania
Howdy! Enjoy!
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(Abhi's POV)
I felt nauseous when I woke up today. I was feeling extremely dizzy and felt like throwing up. The moment I woke up, all the things that happened yesterday, hit me like a tide. Going out to watch movie, Shreyan, Shanaya's conspiracy about killing Rohan and taking the Nanda Industries - everything. I sighed while yawning and when I arched my back, I gasped in pain.
Yesterday after coming home, I sneekily went inside my room and cleaned my back and threw the shirt away. Or else my mom would have freaked out to see a bloody torn shirt. My back stung badly but still a smile crept on my lips.
They were the marks given by Rohan. And I did not give a shit if they hurt.
I looked at the wall clock. 5:45 am. I felt really tired, due to physical pain and mental anxiety but I needed to get out of bed and go to work so that at the end of the month, I could bring something for my parents to eat.
At 6:30am, I ended up going to Friendship Café, the place which always had managed to calm my nerves down. People who used to do morning walk or jogging, liked to stop here and eat something. Even many people and students stopped here before going office or schools, colleges and universities.
I had an extra key because I used to come first and open the café. I cleaned the café at first and before I could even finish cleaning, people came in and started ordering. I took their order and started serving them.
I was doing extra works today to keep my mind away from things. But it was no help. Even the aching pain in my back wasn't helping. There was only one thing I was thinking and that was to tell Rohan the truth.
But how? What would I tell him? I could not just go and tell him that his girlfriend was planning to kill him and took away his father's company. He would never believe me. And I did not have anything to prove myself right. All I did was listening to Shanaya's conversation with that bald headed bearded man. And if somehow Rohan asks anything about it to Shanaya, then the consequences would be worst. They would know that Rohan was suspecting Shanaya and the far I knew girls, they were excellent in drama. She would dramatically prove herself innocent, she would cry her heart out to him telling him that she loved him with all her heart and knowing him, he would of course give into her.
But if somehow Shanaya gets Rohan to suspect me then that would be the end. That girl had Rohan wrapped around her little finger and if under her trance, Rohan starts believing that I wanted him to end his relationship with Shanaya and that's why I was blaming her, it would break his heart. Rohan trusted me with all his soul. That was his strength along with his weakness. Shanaya was a very clever girl and she would never let go of such a golden opportunity.
Then what should I do? Tell Rohan and take the risk or wait for Shanaya to take her first step? But if her first step happens to be too much? What if it's already too late?
"Breath Abhi, breath." I heard Uncle Ravi whisper in my ear. I even did not know that I was holding my breath and let go. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves down. I was already feeling dizzy and my back was not helping at all.
Uncle Ravi slowly took my left hand in his hand and gasped. I looked at him confused, then looked at my hand.
Blood was oozing ferociously out of my hand and was dripping onto the floor. There were broken pieces of glasses scattered on the floor. I frowned. I myself neither realised that I broke the glass and nor that the broken glass cut my hand and blood was coming out.
I again looked at the glass pieces on the floor and gave Uncle Ravi an apologetic look. Uncle Ravi sighed.
"Abhi, I'm not worried about the glass! Just look at your hand! What's wrong with you today that you zoned out so much that you even didn't realise you broke that glass or you're bleeding? Abhi, you never zone out!"
I was trying my best to cope up with whatever uncle Ravi was telling me. But still, my mind was not letting me to understand anything that were going on around me.
"Abhi, if there is something that's bothering you, then tell me! I've always been like a father to you, damn, I've seen you and Rohan grow up together. I know you, Abhi. If you're that distracted by a problem, then it must be something very serious. Tell me, Abhi."
I looked at Uncle Ravi. He was really worried about me. I didn't blame him for being worried, he was really a second father to me.
For a moment, I thought about telling Uncle Ravi everything, so that I could get some mental peace, so that I could ask him for his advice, but I didn't. I did not want him to take anymore pressure because of me. He had done quite a lot of things for me. And that was a serious problem. If Uncle Ravi got to know that Rohan's life was in danger, he would freak out and I had no idea what he would do. So I decided that not telling him anything and trying to solve this problem on my own would be the best, at least for now. If in future, I need his help, then I could disclose everything to him.
So I gave him a warm and reassuring smile but seeing his facial expression, I could say that my smile was not that much reassuring, so I sighed, looked at my bloody hand and again looked at him.
"Uncle Ravi, it's nothing. I promise you I'm fine."
Uncle Ravi sighed heavily and shook his head disappointedly but did not push me for more. As he knew my nature, he knew that no more pestering could open my mouth. He brought the first aid kit and started cleaning my wound. It hurt when he was pulling out a piece of glass out of my hand which was stuck badly in my hand. More blood came out but ultimately it stopped and Uncle Ravi bandaged it.
I was going to get out of the kitchen when Uncle Ravi stopped me again. I looked back at him.
"Promise me Abhi that if something serious happens, you will tell me."
There was such a helpless expression all over his face that he looked like a father who was trying his best to help his son against his will. His eyes contained so much love and concern that I could not say no to him. So I just smiled at him and nodded. In return, he also smiled at me and gave me a single curt nod.
The moment I got out of the kitchen, again all the thoughts came crushing down on me. I thought so many things, I tried to find a solution in so many ways, but nothing came out. The biggest problem was that I did not have any proof against Shanaya. Her father was Mr.Nanda's business partner. If I tried to take any step, it would reach to Mr.Nanda's business level and everything will be in a haphazard condition. It would shake the very base of The Nanda Industries. But the person who mattered the most was Rohan.
I would never be able to see the heart broken expression on his face. I had seen that expression many times on his face because his family was too stupid to care for him but if Shanaya breaks his trust, I was not very sure if he would ever be able to believe someone else anymore. And living in a world full of people where you can not believe anyone, it would be the most painful thing.
He could also blame me for all of this. If somehow I succeeded in proving the wrong and Rohan and Nanda Industries were saved, Rohan's heart will still break. And even if he would know that Shanaya was just using him, there will be moments when he would surely blame me for everything. I did not care about it, as long as he was fine, he could blame me all he wanted, but that's the thing! He wouldn't be fine. After blaming me he would think that he blamed his very best friend who only tried to save his life, then he would be more depressed and would completely shut himself down. And that's the thing I was afraid about the most. If in the state of depression and guilt, he does something to himself. I would never be able to forgive myself.
Whatever I try to do, I'll end up hurting Rohan in the end because in the end, Shanaya will always be the betrayer and that will break Rohan's heart.
I was so involved in my thought that I did not listen my phone was going off. I hurriedly fished my phone out of the pocket and saw Rohan's name flashing on the screen. Great! Just what I needed!
Emitting a deep sigh, I took the call.
"Hey Abhi, I can't come to pick you up today. I'll be coming with Shanaya directly from her house. Can you come alone today? You are not minding me for ditching you like that, are you?" He sounded guilty. But this time, I was not hurt because Rohan was not going to come and pick me up, instead he was going for Shanaya. I was hurt because on his back Shanaya was trying to take his father's company and she did not care if that involved killing him and he did not have a single clue about it.
"It's alright." I tried to say it as casually as possible but being Rohan, he instantly picked up that something was wrong with me.
"Abhi, are you alright? What's wrong? Is Fayz bothering you again?"
"I'm fine Rohan."
"Is it your back?" He asked a little bit shyly but no remorse in his voice. I rolled my eyes.
"No. I'm okay Rohan, you don't need to be tensed."
"Mr.Abhimanyu Singh, you can lie to the whole world all you want, but you can't hide anything from me. After coming to college today, we are gonna meet up and you are going to tell me what's bothering you. And don't use any fucking 'I have a class, Rohan' excuse 'cause I ain't taking any of those shit." And with that he cut the call. I sighed and put my mobile in my pocket again zoning out in my thoughts.
May be it would be the best if I talk to him. I did not have to tell him everything right now. I would just drop some hints and tell him not to trust Shanaya blindly. And like the dumb fool he was, he would definitely joke about me being jealous of Shanaya, not even realising that he was telling the truth.
It did not matter. It did not matter if I was hurt. Selfishly, of course a part of me will be happy that Shanaya will be out of his life but if that meant hurting Rohan, then I did not need that. If he wanted to spend his life with the person he loves, I had no problem. I just wanted him to be happy, that's it.
I only wished that Shanaya was good, which she was not.
But one thing I promised to myself. No matter what happens from now on in our life, I'll always be there for Rohan. Even if he pushes me away, I'll wait for him to gain consciousness again.
I vowed that somehow I would of course save Rohan's life.
I looked at the café clock and it was already showing 9:04am. I had to walk to college today, I could not waste money in bus fare. Every single rupee was important in my life.
After biding Uncle Ravi goodbye, I started walking by the pavement and started thinking again. One thing I was sure that I was going to talk to Rohan today. I was of course nervous. Only the thought that we all were standing at a point of a very dangerous situation and a life changing moment, it was giving me goose bumps. My stomach was doing some weird flips. I clutched onto my backpack to decrease my tension.
Life was never simple for me. Since childhood, I was struggling. Of course I had my foster parents, Uncle Ravi and Rohan there for me but there are always situations that you yourself have to handle. And my life was full of those situations. And this time it was something very much bigger and it was not only going to change my life, but everyone else's too.
I was just wishing that I was not taking any wrong step. Rohan's pursuance made me take the decision of telling him, I hoped that telling him was the right thing. May be I was a struggler and surviver but I was only a 19 years old boy.
I was standing on the pavement where I was gonna cross the road. It was a small crossing. Our college was only a five minutes walk from that crossing. I was waiting for the green signal when suddenly my mobile vibrated. I took out my phone. Again it was Rohan. I pressed the green button and pressed the mobile on my right ear.
"Hey Abhi I'm in college, where are you?"
"ST road crossing."
"Oh okay. I was thinking why are you taking so much time. You're not walking to college again, are you?"
I rolled my eyes. Rohan did not like me walking after all the work I had to do and that's the reason he started giving me lifts on the first place. Though he said that it was because he wanted us to spend more time together, but I did not believe his bullshit.
"Hey Abhi, can you show me some maths?"
"Rohan–" I said in a warning tone.
"I Know, I know, I need to pay attention in class, but you know that professor doesn't know how to teach. When he teaches, I only prove the theorem that both of our ears are situated in a horizontal line 'cause whatever goes in through my one ear, comes out of another."
I laughed out loudly at Rohan's weird sense of humor. He was laughing too on the other end. I saw the red light turn green. I started crossing the road. There were only other two people who were crossing the road with me.
"Okay Rohan, I'll help you–"
Suddenly I heard a vicious sound of tire squeaking. My head snapped to my left and I saw a SUV approaching me with full speed. My eyes widened and I let out a startled cry. I even did not have the time to escape.
When the car collided with me and I flew away, I could here Rohan yelling my name in my phone frantically and horribly and then my body collided with the concrete and my mobile broke into pieces.
I could sense people gathering around me. I thought I even could hear the sound of an ambulance approaching. I tried hard to stay conscious but the darkness was too much alluring for me to stay awake. I tried telling myself that I had to stay awake because I had to tell Rohan about Shanaya, but I couldn't.
I was too much tired to stay conscious.
But one thing I was sure. Even my almost unconscious state could not take it out of my head. It was not an accident. They were trying to kill me.
Because I was one hundred percent sure that Shreyan was driving the SUV.
And I needed to tell that to Rohan. But the pain was too much.
Rohan's face was the last thing I remembered before I went into complete darkness.
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So, it's done!!! Yay!!! Sorry for not updating, I was very busy for my college admission and still am. BTW, I'm gonna study Physics honors in college. Yay!!!! Again!
I'll update as soon as possible.
Till then, happy life!
_#Spidey, over and out! ;-)